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December 2018

CARRYING VALUES FORWARD:

THE SIRAGUSA FAMILY

FOUNDATION'S PATH TO

CONTEMPORIZING ITS GIVING

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Introduction

Renamed in 2016 to honor its longstanding legacy, The Siragusa Family

Foundation is a multi-generational family foundation based in Chicago,

Illinois that funds in the areas of arts, education and health. Founded by Ross

D. Siragusa in 1950, the foundation is governed today by his descendants

and managed by local staff.

Following in Mr. Siragusa's philanthropic footsteps, the foundation supports

organizations that provide access and opportunity to the underserved so that

they are empowered to help themselves and to experience a better quality of

life. By the end of 2018, the foundation will have granted over $46 million

to more than 550 organizations, the majority of which are in the Chicago

area, the region where Mr. Siragusa first found opportunity.

The Siragusa Family Foundation presents this publication about the history

and evolution of its operations, governance and grantmaking programs. The

intention is to share this journey with the field and to document for future

generations the origins of the foundation’s work in the community. We are

proud of the legacy began by founder Ross D. Siragusa, and look forward to

continuing to carry forward his values and vision in our work.

Learn more at www.siragusa.org.

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A Timeline of Foundation Milestones

1950 Foundation established as a charitable trust to help those in

need by Ross D. Siragusa and his first wife Irene O'Brien

Siragusa, who passed in 1969.

First grants were given to organizations the founder was

interested in the areas of the arts, religious causes, scholarships,

medical research and social services.

1980 Trust converted into a not-for-profit corporation, The Ross D.

Siragusa Family Foundation, with assets of approximately $5

million. Ross D. Siragusa serves as chairman, president and

treasurer. Board comprised of key advisors to the founder as

well as founder’s second wife, Martha Siragusa, and his

children (second generation).

Family membership on the board is designated as such: Each of

the founder’s four children represents a family branch; each

branch is allotted 2 seats on the board which are to be filled via

appointments made by the founder’s four children representing

their branch.

According to Articles of Incorporation, the primary purpose of

the foundation is to encourage and support the charitable

activities of those organizations which improve social

conditions and cultural development in the United States or

elsewhere; promote peace and international understanding;

increase and propagate knowledge through educational,

scientific or literary endeavors in secondary, college and

professional schools or otherwise; provide for special needs of

children, the elderly or the disabled; improve the quality and

availability of healthcare and healthcare delivery; and achieve

other charitable purposes which the foundation from time to

time recognizes as especially worthy of its support given

current social, cultural and economic conditions.

1981 Name of the organization is changed to The Siragusa

Foundation.

First of third-generation family members are invited to join the

board.

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Begin to establish grant guidelines outlining the purposes and

objectives of the foundation. Health care and education,

specifically in the Midwest, are discussed as primary giving

priorities.

1980s Several third-generation family members are added to the

board, often two serving at a time, joining their parents/uncles.

Grantees renewed year to year, with a few new organizations

entering the grantee pool based on founder interests and

community needs.

1985 Ross D. Siragusa (“Poppy”) falls ill and his son John R.

Siragusa (“Uncle Jack”) assumes leadership, presiding over

meetings as vice president and then becomes acting chair in

1987.

1990s Assets continue to increase and grantmaking follows.

Grantmaking continues to focus on civic and cultural

organizations, education, health and human services and

interest in environmental organizations emerge amongst third

generation family members.

Foundation adopts grant application form for board

consideration of requests.

Assets increase to more than $12 million, grantees grow to

more than 80.

1996 Founder Ross D. Siragusa passes.

The addition of $20 million from his estate raises assets to $37

million.

At the prompt of John Siragusa, board decides to hire an

executive director and administrative assistant, and begins to

consider formalizing family board membership, a committee

structure and a draft of first grantmaking guidelines is

developed.

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1997 Third generation family member Irene S. Phelps is appointed

executive director and a non-voting board member. John

Siragusa becomes chair and president.

In an intentional effort to engage more third-generation family

members, additional third-generation members are elected to

the board growing to outnumber the second generation.

Program areas defined: arts & culture, education, environment,

health & medical research, and human services; board

membership policy established; bylaws changed to ensure equal

representation of four family branches on the board (two from

each branch); executive and finance committees established.

The executive committee would nominate new board members,

be responsible for staff compensation, recommend possible new

donations from requests received and develop the major family

memorial gift.

1998 Staff begins to develop deeper relationships with grantees,

implementing site visits and grant reports.

Sample mission statement drafted.

1999 To mark its 50 years of giving, and to honor the founders Ross

D. Siragusa and Irene O’Brien Siragusa and their daughter

Mary Irene Siragusa Hicks, the foundation pledges a major gift

totaling $10 million to 9 Chicago area organizations: $6 million

to Lurie Children's Hospital and $500,000 each to the Adler

Planetarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, The Cradle, the Field

Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, the Lincoln Park Zoo, the

Newberry Library and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Foundation receives the 1999 Distinguished Philanthropist

Award from the National Society of Fundraising Executives,

Chicago Chapter (now known as the Association of Fundraising

Professionals).

A monograph documenting story of Ross D. Siragusa's life is

also published.

2001 Foundation pledges $500,000 to Harris Theater and $500,000 to

Millennium Park joining fellow area philanthropists and to

honor the founder’s passion for civic and cultural life in

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Chicago, a legacy which continues to be led by his second wife

Martha Siragusa.

Fourth generation family members first start attending meetings

and site visits in Chicago.

Board begins to discuss geographic dispersion and succession,

difference between legacy and donor intent.

2002 Irene S. Phelps becomes president and CEO, a voting member

of the board of directors though not taking a family seat.

Early 2000s Historical grants data is catalogued and migrated into an

electronic searchable database.

Foundation website developed with an internal password-

protected area of site for board and family.

Code of ethics, conflict of interest, confidentiality and

whistleblower policies are established.

Matching gifts program for third and fourth generations,

including matching monetary, in-kind donations and volunteer

hours, is established.

Begin issuing an internal family newsletter to keep family

members informed about foundation and family news twice a

year.

Handbook for board members (Board Resource Book) and new

board member training created.

Foundation adopts policy to not accept unsolicited proposals in

order to focus on existing grantees and planning for how to

thoughtfully expand giving in a focused manner based on

interests and needs.

Staff begins to chart administrative expenses to measure against

industry standards and forecast future giving based on assets.

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2006 In a planned succession and to create space for additional/next

gen members, John Siragusa resigns as chair of the board; his

brother and second-generation member Richard D. Siragusa is

appointed chair.

Board is expanded to include a seasoned foundation executive

from outside the family – James Durkan, then president and

CEO of the Community Memorial Foundation.

2007 Foundation’s first fourth generation family member John R.

Siragusa, III joins board. John R. Siragusa and Ross D.

Siragusa, Jr. resign from the board.

Fourth Generation members from around the country convene

separately for the first time to begin to learn together about

philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, the foundation and its history

and grantmaking. They begin to explore interest areas and

discuss ideas.

2008 Economic downturn causes portfolio losses and leads to

difficult discussions and decisions to reduce funding across the

board, an opportunity to seriously consider focusing giving

areas for the first time. Strategic conversations around

community impact, grant sizes, criteria to assess grantees, and

establishing a review process for renewal grantees follow.

Mid-2000s Foundation’s mission and vision are updated, theories of action

are created, values and legacy statement are adopted,

grantmaking priorities/rubric is drafted and grantmaking begins

to be streamlined.

Board and committee job descriptions are developed, board

self-assessments are implemented and additional policies such

as document retention, board service, employee open door and

disciplinary action are developed.

Bylaws are revised to include two rotating fourth generation

seats which would encourage next gen family members to

participate on the board regardless of existing family branch

representation on the board.

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Ongoing board education about the sector and field is

introduced as is periodic grantee communications and hosting

grantee educational and capacity building sessions.

Private family Facebook page created to easily share news and

updates about grantees and issues facing the community and

promote dialogue amongst board/family members about the

topics and foundation’s work.

Board books now available electronically.

2011 Upon resignation of Richard D. Siragusa as board member and

chair of the board, first third generation family member John E.

Hicks, Jr. elected as chair of the board.

Board member assessments introduced to evaluate their

responsibilities and give staff a better understanding about

board member dynamics and foundation activities. Moving

forward, this will be administered every two years.

2013 Martha P. Siragusa passes away on January 17, 2013; memorial

gift in her name made to Lincoln Park Zoo.

2014 Irene S. Phelps announces retirement; foundation hires from

within the first non-family executive director, Sharmila Rao

Thakkar. Colleagues from the field are brought in to share

experiences and examples of family foundation transitions with

the board.

Limits on the number of family members permitted to serve at

the same time from the same family branch are dissolved to

allow for additional family members and varying generations to

serve on the board at the same time. Fourth generation family

members are eligible to apply as full board members, serving

three-year terms. New and renewing board members will be

elected, not (re)appointed by senior members of their family.

Those interested in serving on the board would complete an

application, which would be voted on by the board. Provision

that at least two-thirds of the members of the board of directors

must be descendants of founder Ross D. Siragusa remains

intact.

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2016 Board convenes for offsite retreat to share legacy with next

generations, discuss future planning and family leadership in

the foundation.

Foundation renamed to The Siragusa Family Foundation to

honor its longstanding legacy.

Grantmaking streamlining continues and priorities are

consolidated to the following program areas: arts education –

community-based and school-based, education – college

success and career pathways/workforce development, and

health – mental health/primary care and safe communities.

Funding categories for special interests, partnerships/

collaborative initiatives and board- and family-directed grants

are also established.

2017 Board returns to family leadership appointing third generation

member and grandson of the founder, John E. Hicks, Jr. as

executive director upon Thakkar’s out-of-state move.

Board grantmaking committee re-established and new 3-year

grantmaking cycle by program area introduced, to be slowly

phased into the portfolio in the coming years.

2018 In November with the addition of 2 more fourth generation

family members to the board, the fourth generation surpasses

the third in number of trustees

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“Giving back is part of being successful. Through this foundation, we

will enrich and enhance the lives of others by funding programs that help

people help themselves.”

– Ross D. Siragusa

The Foundation’s Early Days

Like many foundations, The

Siragusa Family Foundation has

evolved much since it was

established by Ross D. Siragusa

and his first wife Irene O'Brien

Siragusa in 1950. But now more

than ever, Siragusa's heartfelt

pledge remains at the heart of the

Chicago-based foundation’s

mission, which remains to help

people help themselves and achieve

a better quality of life. Over the

past 68 years, the foundation has

moved beyond “check book”

philanthropy into a multi-

generational professional

grantmaking organization with

established funding, operations and

governance policies.

Ross D. Siragusa (also known to his

family as “Poppy”), who was

founder and director of the

consumer appliance and electronics

company Admiral Corporation,

formalized his personal giving by

establishing the foundation to

support causes which helped people

help themselves and enhanced

quality of life. Having not attended

college, he made funding education

one of his top priorities. Today, The

Siragusa Family Foundation

continues awarding scholarships to

students who would otherwise be

unable to attend college.

Additionally, it prioritizes college

success and career pathways by

funding programs that prepare

underserved students to persist

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through the first years of college

and supports job training programs

that increase economic

opportunities for individuals and

families.

Siragusa also supported many arts

& cultural institutions, child

development, medical, religious

and cultural endeavors. With its

founder’s interests in mind, the

foundation continues to fund arts

education and access to health and

human services.

In order to keep pace with the

steadily evolving world of

philanthropy and the ever-more

pressing needs of the communities

its grantees were serving, the

foundation moved beyond the

executive business model that

served Ross D. Siragusa so well in

turning a $3,500 investment into a

$600 million success at Admiral.

(Read more: A Memorial to the Life

of Ross D. Siragusa).

His descendants at the family

foundation realized that they

needed to get to know their grantees

on a personal level, to learn how

they led and how their

organizations served their

communities in order to be a more

thoughtful and meaningful funding

partner. To ensure its long-term

future, the foundation had to

involve succeeding generations of

the family in its work. Over the

years the board, with leadership and

guidance from Siragusa’s second

wife Martha Siragusa, was able to

carry forward Siragusa’s intent. As

the longest serving board member

when she passed in 2013,

Martha Siragusa kept Siragusa’s

vision strong, helping to ensure his

legacy through the work of the

foundation and future generations.

That the foundation has become an

integral part of Chicago's

philanthropic community and

established itself as a source of

support for organizations serving

the underserved is reflected in

Siragusa's reputation in the city and

beyond. Even as the foundation

looks ahead, anticipating what

further changes will need to be

made, the family remains

committed to the guiding principles

on which it was established. The

question “What would Poppy do?”

is never far from anyone's thoughts,

shares Melvyn H. Schneider, one of

Siragusa’s closest advisors from the

start who served on the board until

his passing in 2016.

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Honoring Ross D. Siragusa’s

Vision

After Admiral Corporation was

acquired by Rockwell International

in 1973, Ross D. Siragusa devoted

his time to running the foundation.

It was converted into a nonprofit

corporation with $5 million in

assets in 1980, having previously

operated as a family trust. In 1985,

when Siragusa fell ill and was

unable to be actively involved in

the day-to-day running of the

foundation, his son John R.

Siragusa (known as “Uncle Jack”)

began leading meetings as vice

chair, eventually becoming acting

chair in 1987 and president and

chair in 1997. As assets increased

to more than $12 million and

grantees to more than 80, he took

steps to make the foundation's

board of directors a more formal

and purposeful body.

During these transitional years, the

foundation’s board supported the

institutions that Ross Siragusa had

funded. There were no records kept

until 1962 and then, only a list of

grantees. Since he left no mission

statement, the foundation used the

categories and actual donations to

help establish a giving policy that

would be in line with his

philosophy. Rather than increase

the number of grantees as its assets

grew, the foundation increased the

amounts it was giving to existing

grant recipients.

Also, during this time, there was

some uncertainty regarding the

involvement of future generations

in the foundation. Not everyone

involved with the foundation

believed that succeeding

generations of the Siragusa family

would have the interest or the

knowledge to keep enduring. There

was discussion of sunsetting the

foundation. Demonstrating an

abiding belief and confidence in the

foundation and the younger

members of the family, Uncle Jack

dedicated himself to attracting,

educating and involving members

of the third and fourth generation

(Siragusa’s grandchildren and

great-grandchildren).

This proved to be no easy task,

particularly with regard to the

fourth generation. While the

cousins of the third generation all

grew up in the Chicago area and

knew each other from a young age,

the cousins of the fourth generation

were spread around the country.

They were not familiar with each

other in the same way. They had not

grown up knowing their great

grandfather or Chicago, nor the

philanthropic work that the

foundation was involved in over the

decades. In successfully reaching

out to them, the foundation not only

strengthened itself, but it brought

the family closer together.

“Uncle Jack (John R. Siragusa) has

done a marvelous job of getting

everyone involved in the

foundation,” said third generation

member Ross D. Siragusa, III, the

foundation's current chair and

president. “Without his efforts, we

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wouldn’t be where we are today.”

Taking the Next Steps:

Professionalizing the

Foundation

Upon Ross D. Siragusa’s passing in

1996 and the addition of $20

million to The Siragusa Family

Foundation's assets (raising the

total to about $37 million), Uncle

Jack with support and guidance of

his brothers Ross D. Siragusa, Jr.

and Richard D. Siragusa (also

known as “Uncle Dick”) carried

forward and eventually recognized

the need for a leader to oversee the

expanded operation and take the

foundation to its next level. They

also initiated a plan to expand the

board and establish committees to

increase family engagement.

In April 1997, Irene S. Phelps,

Siragusa’s eldest granddaughter,

who had served on the board in the

mid-1980s, moved from Los

Angeles to Chicago to become

executive director. An

administrative executive in the

entertainment and restaurant

industries, she had long aspired to

be more involved in the foundation.

When she arrived in Chicago,

Phelps was surprised to discover

that despite all of the foundation’s

grantmaking (just over $700,000

through 1996), “No one had heard

of us. We didn’t get many calls.”

She was charged with raising the

profile of the foundation and

improving operations.

Forefront (formerly the Donors

Forum), an Illinois membership

association serving funders and

nonprofits, provided guidance via

its new trustee and staff leadership

training program. Phelps acquired

valuable insight and information on

finances and grantmaking at its

workshops. The organization and

area colleagues also helped her to

assess the foundation’s goals and

devise a strategy to best meet them.

Additional resources and

opportunities to learn from the

Council on Foundations, National

Center for Family Philanthropy and

the Association for Small

Foundations (now called Exponent

Philanthropy) were invaluable

along the way.

During Irene's early tenure, three

third generation members were

elected to the Siragusa board,

bringing the total to five. She

instituted a change in the bylaws to

ensure equal representation of each

of the four branches of the Siragusa

family. Executive, grantmaking

and finance committees were

established, board positions were

redefined and described in detail

and board training resource books

were created. These measures

helped to make the foundation a

more professionally run operation.

Another one of the foundation's

important moves was to expand the

board to include a seasoned

foundation executive from outside

the family – James Durkan, then

president and CEO of the

Community Memorial Foundation,

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was brought on in 2006. “That

really made it clear that the

foundation was open to learning

how to organize and do what it took

to operate as a family enterprise in

a best-practice way,” said Valerie

A. Lies, retired president and CEO

of the Donors Forum. “They are so

deeply committed to making

change in the community; they will

do and learn whatever it takes to get

better.”

“We've evolved,” said John E.

Hicks, Jr., former chair of the board

and now executive director of the

foundation. “We have become

much more thoughtful and

professional with guidelines,

policies, and procedures to guide

our grantmaking. A lot of initiative

has been taken to build on the first

several decades of our history.”

In order to develop a strategy to

enhance the foundation’s

grantmaking, the foundation

needed to get a better handle on

what grants were being made and

how well those grants were

fulfilling their grandfather’s

intentions. This wasn't always easy

since there was previously not a

mission statement nor electronic

records of which grantees received

how much and for what purpose.

Phelps and her staff went through

the foundation's grantmaking

history, charting its major areas of

support over the years. This

included a major project to

catalogue and migrate into an

electronic searchable database all

grants given since inception. After

establishing a better grasp of who

the foundation was funding, she

instituted one of its most important

reforms – conducting site visits and

developing relationships with long-

standing grant recipients.

“I felt site visits were a way to

connect with the grantees, to

understand the work they were

doing, so we could create

connections and be part of the

community,” said Phelps. “And, of

course, we could then discuss their

efforts with the board. We believe

we are partners with our grantees,

but they're the ones doing the heavy

lifting.”

“With the lines of communication

open, our grantees began to trust us,

which then led to staff’s ability to

provide technical assistance and

capacity building with them,

assisting with transitions,

communications, strategic planning

and other opportunities for

collaboration,” shared Sharmila

Rao Thakkar, initially hired by

Phelps as a program officer and

later served as executive vice

president before being appointed

the foundation’s first non-family

executive director when Phelps

retired.

It didn't take long to discover the

importance of the site visits. “Some

of the organizations we visited said

grantmakers hadn’t come to see

them,” Phelps said. “They hadn’t

asked them about their programs or

projects.”

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“The Siragusa Family Foundation

greatly values its relationship with

grantees and cares about what you

are doing,” said Simone Mitchell-

Peterson, chief executive officer of

Little Brothers Friends of the

Elderly, a volunteer-based

organization dedicated to

alleviating loneliness among the

elderly in Chicago. “They're

always looking to help you connect

the dots and build capacity.

Sometimes they suggest another

organization you might want to

partner with to your mutual benefit.

We always look forward to what

they might have to say.” The

foundation has supported Little

Brothers since 1962.

“What sets Siragusa apart is that

they are genuinely excited to learn

about what you're doing,” said

Rochelle Davis, president and CEO

of Healthy Schools Campaign, a

grantee since 2008. “We have

donors who don't want to hear from

us or hear from us only on their

terms. And when The Siragusa

Family Foundation comes for a

visit, we never feel like they're

checking up on us. It's their money,

but they are open to ideas on how to

use it. They're known for that.” The

foundation has always believed that

those leaders in the community

doing the work know best how to

use funds best, they are the experts.

A few years ago, the foundation

committed early on to fund Space

to Grow: Greening Chicago

Schoolyards, a collaboration

between Healthy Schools

Campaign, a nonprofit organization

dedicated to ensuring that all

students have access to healthy

school environments where they

can learn and thrive, and

Openlands, a conservation

organization that protects the

natural and open spaces of

northeastern Illinois and the

surrounding region to ensure

cleaner air and water.

“Other funders may have pulled

back, thinking we were usurping

support for other programs,” said

Openlands president and CEO

Gerald W. Adelmann, whose

organization has been supported by

the foundation since 1999. Instead,

Siragusa doubled down and issued

a small supplemental grant to each

group to demonstrate its support for

the pilot which aims to transform

Chicago schoolyards into open,

multiple-use green spaces.

“It's a real partnership,” said

Adelmann. “They come to our

events and invite us to seminars.

Their support of professional

development goes beyond the usual

lines.”

Celebrating a Legacy and 50

Years of Giving

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In the landmark year of 1999, in

honor of Ross D. and Irene O'Brien

Siragusa and their daughter Mary

Irene Siragusa Hicks and in

anticipation of its 50th year of

giving, the foundation announced a

major gift totaling $10 million to be

distributed over the coming ten

years to nine Chicago-area

nonprofits, mostly in the form of

capital support.

What was so different about how

the board and family made its

decisions was the manner in which

they solicited proposals. As they

were bringing third generation

family members onto the board,

they wanted to find a meaningful

way to incorporate everyone’s

input in celebrating this anniversary

and legacy. They created a list of

every grantee that the foundation

had supported and that family

members had been involved with

over 50 years – it was quite a list.

The whole family – including 12

grandchildren of the founder, six of

whom were not on the board at the

time – voted for organizations that

best represented the ideals of their

grandfather, grandmother and aunt.

The list was then narrowed to nine

organizations.

Requests for proposals were sent to

each of the nine organizations with

the open-ended question: “If we

gave you $6 million, what would

you do with it?” This was a

different way of doing things at the

time. Rather than directing

organizations on what they wanted

them to do with the funding or

fitting funding into existing

programs, the foundation, realizing

they were not the experts and that

the nonprofits knew their needs

best, asked the organizations to

present their biggest and best ideas.

The nine proposals were reviewed

and voted on. Through the process

of site visits, learning about the

organizations’ vision and plans up

close, the board and family revised

their original intention to make one

grant of $6 million. They decided

to increase the total budget to $10

million and to fund all the

organizations.

Six million dollars was awarded to

Children’s Memorial Hospital

(now known as Lurie Children's

Hospital of Chicago), providing a

dramatic boost for the development

of its pediatric transplant center.

Lurie is home to one of the world's

largest pediatric liver transplant

programs and the first pediatric

heart transplant program in Illinois.

$500,000 was awarded to each of

the following organizations: the

Adler Planetarium and Astronomy

Museum, the Art Institute of

Chicago, The Cradle, the Field

Museum, the John G. Shedd

Aquarium, the Lincoln Park Zoo,

the Newberry Library and

Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The Chicago chapter of the

National Society of Fundraising

Executives (now known as the

Association of Fundraising

Professionals) also capped this

milestone by honoring The

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Siragusa Family Foundation with

its 1999 Distinguished

Philanthropist Award.

According to Phelps, “This was a

great process for our family –

thinking about what we have

supported, what the family has been

involved in and what all members

of the family wanted to prioritize

and recognize. And, we had fun

doing it – we got to go out and meet

our grantees, and everybody had

the opportunity to participate.

Besides bringing us closer, it

allowed us to shape that incredibly

important work together. I would

even say it formed the basis of our

work in the years since.”

Sustaining Momentum,

Maximizing Impact into the

Future

While the major gifts had a purpose

for its time, over the years the

foundation has shifted its capital

campaign support in favor of

renewal grants – smaller grants

dispersed regularly over time.

“That’s something the foundation

has come to be known for,” said

Hicks. “It is extremely important to

community-based grantees that

have been supported for so long to

be able to count on us. Our dollars

can help sustain those smaller

programs with defined goals,

especially in a tough financial

environment.”

The renewal grants had started

under Jack Siragusa's leadership

and they had become a trademark.

For a small family foundation with

limited funds and staff, it had made

sense. By the end of 2018, the

foundation had given more than

$46 million to more than 550

organizations.

“Renewal grants have been making

more of an impact, long-term, for

the organizations we support,”

explained Phelps. “We have heard

numerous times how important

they are to our grantees. They show

that we support them. And, having

The Siragusa Family Foundation as

a funder has helped them secure

additional funding.” Thakkar

expands, “I’ve seen many times

how a grant from us has helped

smaller organizations leverage

funding from other funders,

sometimes even securing larger

commitments.” Such grants also

allow the opportunity to sustain a

relationship with the grantee’s staff

and leadership and assess how well

it is meeting its goals beyond two or

three years.”

“Staff at the foundation were

advocates for us even before they

started funding us,” said David

Feiner, producing director of the

Albany Park Theatre Project.

“Irene and Sharmila started

attending our youth theater

ensemble, loved what they saw and

became motivated to introduce our

work to the board.” APTP

productions are conceived, written

and performed by youth from the

surrounding multiethnic

community who might not

otherwise be able to share their

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stories with others. The program

also works with the young

performers to help them gain

admission to colleges and

universities by highlighting their

excellence and originality in

theater. “Their support and

understanding of the work we're

doing has been huge for us. We try

and devote as little of our budget to

the act of fundraising, to hunting

for new funding. Knowing that year

in and year out we can continue to

do our own core work is

enormous.”

“Questions about checks and

balances do not dominate the

conversation with Siragusa,” said

Little Brother's Mitchell-Peterson.

“You can be honest about the

challenges you are facing and what

corrective action you're thinking of

taking without being frowned upon

and asked what kind of resources

are going to be used.”

The foundation is also committed

to maintaining long standing

relationships with its larger

partners, like Lurie Children’s

Hospital (formerly Children’s

Memorial Hospital of Chicago).

Since 1983, when the Siragusa

Transplantation Center received the

first of more than 50 grants totaling

nearly $8 million, over 2,000 young

lives have been impacted.

“In terms of value for the

foundation dollar, the ongoing

1 “Next Gen Donors: Respecting Legacy,

Revolutionizing Philanthropy,” a collaboration

of 21/64, a consultancy practice specializing in

next gen and multigenerational strategic

medical care that the renewal grants

have made possible, which is

changing the face of the transplant

field, can't easily be measured,”

said Brian Stahulak, then a director

of the transplant program. “The

impact the funding has had in

training the next generation of

leaders in transplantation medicine

has been equally important.”

Carrying On: A Focus on

the Next Generation

One of the greatest challenges

family foundations face as they

move into the future is

acknowledging and adjusting to the

views and interests of succeeding

generations. The style of

philanthropy favored by one

generation may not be that favored

by the next. Research has shown

that the next generation of

philanthropists is strongly inclined

toward giving in ways that produce

measurable change, often more

immediate and visible. They want

to be involved more hands-on with

the groups they give to and could be

driven by differing values and

priorities. At the same time,

younger family members want to

reflect the ideals and sense of

commitment of their elders, which

were impressed upon them when

they were growing up.1

Balancing the original intent of the

donor and senior family members

with the passions and interests of

philanthropy, and the Frey Chair for Family

Philanthropy program at the Dorothy A. Johnson

Center for Philanthropy.

Page | 18

the current and future generations is

a very real and common topic of

discussion for many family

foundations. Instead of presenting

as a challenge, for the Siragusas it

presented an opportunity. It was a

shared understanding among all

generations that maintaining

Poppy’s legacy was paramount.

And doing it in a way that

addressed today’s needs in the

community was key.

During his childhood, John R.

Siragusa, III (known as Jack), a

fourth-generation family member

and now treasurer of the

foundation, visited Chicago every

summer with his family. While he

didn’t always attend board

meetings, his grandfather taught

him about the foundation and gave

him a strong sense of its

importance. The older young Jack

got, the more interested he became

in its workings.

While he was attending college, his

grandfather often discussed joining

the board. “I looked at that as an

honor,” said Jack, who by then had

spent time at the foundation during

summers and participated in

meetings. “Through his teaching

and talking about all the board

does, the connection to the family

and legacy, it was a natural next

step when I joined the board in

2007.”

Jack was the first fourth generation

member to sit on the board. Both as

an officer and as a liaison to other

members of his generation, he has

proven to be an invaluable addition.

In discussing his experiences on the

board, he focuses on the older

members' openness to new ideas.

“They have always listened and

sought out our opinions; it feels

very welcoming when your voice is

being heard,” explained Jack.

While growing up in California

Isabel Siragusa, another fourth-

generation member on the board,

looked forward to her family's trips

to Chicago for annual board

meetings. “From the time I was in

third or fourth grade, I remember it

as such a special part of my life,”

she said. “I felt proud of what the

foundation did. I knew it was

something I wanted to do.”

“Being on the board could be a bit

intimidating at first, but every time

I bring something up, we talk about

it and consider our options fully,”

said Isabel. “You feel like you're

part of the decision-makers, just

like you feel you're part of the

family.” The foundation has

worked hard to create and build this

trust, these open lines of

communication and understanding.

Equally committed to the

foundation has been Caitlyn Hicks

who became the youngest member

of the board at age 20. She even

joined the foundation staff as

administrative assistant/grants

administrator for a few years after

college. While there, she helped

enhance processes and procedures

especially those regarding board

and next gen engagement, bringing

Page | 19

insight from her service as a board

member. Additionally, she shared

her story and provided valuable

perspective about next generation

engagement in family philanthropy,

stepping up as a leader in this

emerging field.

The diversity of the next

generation’s backgrounds and

interests speaks to the continuing

evolution of The Siragusa Family

Foundation as an organization

dedicated to keeping up with the

times. When the fourth-generation

members came on the board, they

benefited from some of the formal

changes introduced by Thakkar,

who with Phelps built the

foundation into a more

professionally managed and

organized operation over the years.

In addition to upgrading the board

resource book, a guide to educate

and onboard new board members,

they implemented board self-

assessments and board member and

committee job descriptions.

“I wanted to explore with the board

what being a board member meant,

why they were involved and what

they expected to get out of it,” said

Thakkar. “It was important to first

understand the role of the board and

how they saw themselves

functioning individually and

together, as a unit, to achieve

common goals.”

“We're lucky the fourth generation

is so engaged,” said Alisa Perrotte,

who well remembers her

grandfather’s strong desire to

involve his grandchildren and their

children. “To hear Caitlyn and

Isabel talk about coming here and

wanting to be part of things – it's so

important to the future of the

foundation. And it's so important to

the family. In addition to wanting to

help the undeserved, he started the

foundation as a way to keep the

family together. With everyone

living so far away from each other,

that hasn't been easy. Seeing all the

fourth-generation cousins getting to

know each other has been truly

meaningful,” shared Alisa.

Putting it into Practice:

Operationalizing Vision &

Values

While not a formal program in the

early days, it was certainly the

foundation’s open invitation to all

family members and

encouragement that board members

bring their children to board

meetings and site visits that seeded

next gen engagement in the

foundation’s work. Space was

created for them to convene

separately, as well as with the

board. Fourth generation meetings

and other gatherings not only

allowed them to get to know each

other, they allowed a safe place to

learn about philanthropy, the

MY EXPERIENCES HAVE GIVEN ME IMPORTANT

INSIGHT ABOUT PHILANTHROPY: THE SINGLE-MOST

IMPORTANT ASPECT OF PRESERVING A FAMILY

FOUNDATION OVER SEVERAL GENERATIONS IS

INSTILLING THE SPIRIT AND THE PRACTICE OF

PHILANTHROPY IN A YOUNGER GENERATION AS

EARLY AS POSSIBLE. – IRENE PHELPS, FORMER PRESIDENT/CEO OF

THE FOUNDATION.

Page | 20

nonprofit sector and the foundation,

and perhaps most importantly, to

ask candid questions and toss

around ideas.

What does the foundation do?

Staff launched a pilot inviting the

fourth generation to explore their

areas of interest together, using the

ideas generated to bring back

relevant organizations for their

consideration. Through the process,

the fourth generation learned how

to review a nonprofit and how to

make funding decisions. They in

turn presented recommendations to

the board – their debut in showing

their parents, aunts and uncles what

they cared about and how they

wished to have the foundation

dollars make a difference. Ten

years later, some of the

organizations introduced then are

still being supported.

When more of the fourth generation

began to develop an interest in the

foundation and in joining the board,

staff led the board/family through a

series of values and vision/mission

exercises and then related it to the

foundation’s historical giving/

legacy. Utilizing tools from

multigenerational family

philanthropy consultancy 21/64,

including the Picture Your Legacy

and Motivational Values decks of

cards, the board and family

articulated their individual ideas for

the future and developed a shared

set of values across generations that

would lead to meaningful and

fulfilling giving together.

This work led to drafting the

foundation’s first legacy statement

(comparable to a donor intent

statement, which they did not have)

and a set of values to help guide the

foundation as they refined their

vision and grantmaking priorities in

the years to come. Looking at these

values and legacy statements in

light of the theories of action

developed a few years prior and

making adjustments as needed led

to creating a grantmaking priorities

rubric to guide grantmaking at the

time. Several organizations or

funding areas dropped out.

Grantees were immediately

notified, giving them about two

years notice until termination, via a

step down process.

This process has ensued over the

years as streamlining efforts reflect

current board giving priorities and

community needs. Showing that

this is an ongoing process –

continually checking in with board

members interests and placing them

in context of what is happening in

the sector, in the communities

being supported – the foundation

further refined its grantmaking

priorities in recent years. At each

Board & Family/

Governance

Grantmaking

Operations & Administration

Investments/

Finance/

Compliance

Community

Page | 21

stage, staff and board carefully

consider programs that may not fit

but have relevance to the

foundation’s legacy and/or family’s

long-term relationships.

Ultimately, these have been

categorized as board- and family-

directed grants and updated

primary and secondary giving areas

and focuses have been established.

Realizing the once trademark

renewal process may hinder new

initiatives needing support and that

might very well align with the

generations coming onboard, the

foundation recently introduced a

new cycle process – and also

reintroduced a board grantmaking

committee. New energy is being

cultivated and engaged at all levels

– from staff bringing in new

organizations and programs to

board members developing closer

relationships with grantees.

“The family has done a great job

of being guided by its founder's

goals and objectives without being

restricted or curtailed by them,”

said James Durkan. “Ross

Siragusa responded to the needs of

his time. Now we are able to

respond to the needs of our time.”

Preparing for Leadership

Transitions: What’s Next… As the foundation prepared for

Phelps to step down, the family was

left with a strong legacy of their

grandfather and uncles for the

coming generations to build upon.

In the years leading up to her

retirement in 2014, Phelps ensured

that the board and staff were ready

to assume the role. Carrying on the

same leadership development and

mentorship she received from her

uncles and colleagues in the field,

she supported efforts and provided

additional opportunities for

Thakkar to grow leadership and

management skills, both inside and

outside the foundation.

There were conversations with the

board to prepare them for any

changes to come. For example,

stepping up to take on more

oversight and exercise their own

leadership. With a family member

at the helm since inception, the

board and family needed to

understand what their role would be

as the foundation moved to be

managed by a non-family staff. In

the years before the transition, staff

led several workshops with the

board. They invited other family

Why are we involved?

Legacy Grantmaking

Family

SIRAGUSA

FAMILY FOUNDATION

Page | 22

foundations and family

philanthropy advisors to share their

experiences around succession –

what should the staff and board

think about ahead of time, what

challenges/pitfalls/opportunities

could they expect –what would be

the new division of roles and

responsibilities, how could they

best work through the changes.

However subtle, the conversations

about the potential and possible

helped ensure a smooth transition

along the way.

Additionally, the years before this

were filled with revisiting the

mission, values and grantmaking

philosophies of the various

generations of board and family

members. Having solid principles

to guide future grantmaking,

seamless transition for staff, board

and grantees was now the goal.

That meant that funding didn’t stop.

For the foundation it meant

deepening the grantmaking and

sustaining its role in the

community, figuring out new ways

to engage the family through

geographic dispersion and life

events (for example, updating the

bylaws to dissolve family

branches), re-activating an

executive committee, instituting

frequent check-ins with the board

chair, and engaging the finance

committee in a more active role in

investment management. The

transition also presented space to

introduce new thoughts and

strategies around grantmaking.

Staff conducted interviews and

surveys of board and family

members to develop a revised

funding framework and updated

grantmaking guidelines that more

accurately reflected current giving

priorities.

An offsite weekend family and

board gathering and retreat was the

perfect venue to revisit the history

of the foundation, learn more about

the Siragusa family legacy and

share these ideas. The voices and

perspective of the second

generation and long-time board

members were key during this time.

“Listening to my grandfather’s

longtime friend and advisor Mel

Schneider and uncles Jack and Dick

recount the foundation’s early years

and tell stories about Poppy and our

family was really important to

strengthening the family’s

connection to the foundation’s

legacy, especially for the fourth

generation,” recalled John Hicks.

The convening resulted in interest

and re-engagement of several

family members.

When Thakkar announced a family

move out of Chicago, the

foundation faced another transition,

which led to deeper conversations

around the future of the foundation,

including operations and staffing

structure, the role family and board

members would have in leading,

how they would maintain their

legacy, and how they would

streamline the grantmaking that had

begun while maintaining their

connection to the community and

sector as responsive grantmakers.

Page | 23

It provided the opportunity to

reflect upon and re-affirm what is

enduring and relevant about their

work together.

After much consideration, board

chair and third generation family

member John E. Hicks, Jr. was

appointed the next executive

director in 2017. Having served on

the board of the foundation since

1992, and six years as chair of the

board, Hicks brings the vision of

the family full circle. He will be

leading during a critical time of

generational leadership changes

and streamlining of the

foundation’s operations and

grantmaking. “I am honored to be

taking on this role at such a critical

juncture for the foundation. We

have had wonderful leadership over

the past two decades, resulting in

truly meaningful partnerships with

our nonprofit and philanthropy

colleagues. I look forward to

working with our board and staff to

deepen our relationships to address

community needs here in Chicago

and to strengthen my grandfather’s

legacy and philanthropic vision,”

said Hicks upon his appointment.

The Siragusa Family Foundation’s

successful journey through

multiple transitions and the

evolution of its operations,

governance and grantmaking has

been possible due to a deep

commitment to respect and

understand each other, a shared

legacy, and the communities they

have served. At each stage, they

have carefully considered various

questions and perspectives. Their

thoughtful and intentional work has

allowed them to engage fully with

the roots of the foundation as they

chart next steps. The Siragusas

hope the time they have invested in

cross-generation and ongoing

education and communication will

be a strong model they continue to

hone and implement. For them,

finding joy in giving together and

doing it well as a multi-

generational family, while

honoring founder Ross D.

Siragusa’s philanthropic legacy, is

what it’s all about.

Page | 24

About the Foundation The Siragusa Family Foundation, established in 1950 by Ross D. Siragusa, is a private family

foundation that is committed to honoring its founder by sustaining and developing Chicago's

extraordinary nonprofit resources. Governed today by his descendants and non-family board

members, the foundation supports nonprofit organizations in the Chicago area.

Our Mission To help underserved people in the Chicago area help themselves and experience a better quality

of life by funding organizations in the following program areas: arts learning, education and

health.

Our Vision To work in partnership with organizations, communities and other philanthropic entities to

connect those in need of services, bridge people to opportunities, and engage them as valued

individuals in a caring society with the purpose of fulfilling basic needs, enhancing quality of life

and fostering a sense of community.

Our Funding Priorities

Arts Learning

School-Based Arts Learning

Support arts organizations to create and apply deep multi-week school-based arts education

programming that promotes the artistic, academic and social-emotional development of youth.

Community-Based Arts Learning

Support arts organizations that bring arts outreach and learning opportunities to under-resourced

communities.

Education

College Success

Support organizations that prepare underserved college-bound students to apply for and persist

through the first years of college by providing academic counseling, quality instruction and

social emotional support.

Career Pathways

Support jobs training and placement programs that increase the economic opportunities of

disadvantaged individuals by providing job readiness skills, employment experiences,

certifications and supports to help them succeed in work and life.

Health

Health & Well-Being

Support access to services that improve health and wellness for youth and families in

disadvantaged communities, specifically mental health services as integral to primary health

care.

Safe Communities

Support organizations that reduce and prevent community violence by providing intervention,

restorative justice, leadership development and social-emotional support to youth.

Page | 25

Our Legacy

The Siragusa Family Foundation honors its founder Ross D. Siragusa by engaging future

generations of family members as philanthropic leaders and stewards of his charitable

legacy -- a legacy which is aimed at continuing the original philanthropic intent of the

founder to meet the current needs of the communities that the foundation supports.

Following in Mr. Siragusa's philanthropic footsteps, the foundation supports

organizations that provide access and opportunity to the underserved so that they are

empowered to help themselves and to experience a better quality of life.

Our Values

Through its giving, The Siragusa Family Foundation seeks to fulfill its mission of

supporting efforts that help people help themselves and experience a better quality of life.

Fundamental to all foundation grantmaking are the following values:

Effectiveness & Accountability

Building sustained relationships with organizations that use best practices will lead to

stronger organizations that can better serve their communities.

Compassion & Respect for Human Dignity

The foundation is committed to enhancing the lives of the underserved by helping people

to help themselves so that they may achieve a better quality of life.

Opportunity & Belief in Human Capacity

Providing access to opportunities will allow people to self-determine their life goals and

chart a path that they choose.

Self-Empowerment & Community Impact

Empowering individuals will lead to the strengthening and transformation of

communities.

Leadership & Trust

The foundation seeks to lead by investing in organizations that know best how to fulfill

their goals of making positive changes in their communities.

Page | 26

Acknowledgements

This publication was developed with the research, content development,

writing, editing and design contributions of following individuals:

Alisa Perrotte

Lloyd Sachs

Sharmila Rao Thakkar

Jason McKean

Ashley Seyfert

Additional gratitude to all the family members and board members who

provided historical knowledge and input.

Page | 27

Copyright 2018